Plasma displays panels (PDPs) for televisions and other applications create an image by discharging gas plasma that generates light having desirable characteristics. Relative to conventional cathode ray tubes, PDPs can have superior display capacity, luminance, and contrast. In PDPs, application of a voltage between electrodes creates a discharge of gas plasma, resulting in the emission of ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV emission excites adjacent phosphor materials, resulting in electromagnetic emission of visible light.
PDPs emit plasma having different emission spectra that need to be modified prior to viewing. Optical filters have been used for this purpose. Optical filters can include, for example, a transparent substrate, an antireflective layer on the front surface of the transparent substrate for preventing ambient light reflections, and an electromagnetic wave shield on the rear surface of the transparent substrate.
Conventionally, the antireflective layer can be formed from, for example, silicon oxide or titanium dioxide, and the electromagnetic wave shield can be formed from, for example, copper (Cu) or silver (Ag). Other configurations are known in the art.
Another conventional configuration of a PDP filter employs a coated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film glued to a glass surface. These conventional arrangements, however, can result in less than ideal appearance, stability, and light reflectance/transmittance characteristics.
What are needed in the art are PDP filters having, relative to conventional PDP filters, enhanced optical quality in combination with easier processing, better impact performance, more stable near infrared (NIR) absorbance/reflectance characteristics, a neutral color, strong electromagnetic (EM) shielding, and a lower total weight.